Best of

the Twin Cities

Best Victimless Crime

Taking the Dog Out (For a Beer)

Some of the sweetest, most community-oriented citizens in Minneapolis are, in fact, law-breaking scoundrels. This we learned in early 2017, when city officials announced they were looking into legally allowing dogs to enter certain coffeeshops and taprooms. This consideration came as a shock to many who assumed this already was legal, given how common a practice it is. Indeed, some places essentially have in-house pups that function as unofficial business mascots. It’s all illegal under a state law that prohibits animals near places where food is prepared, and for some reason includes coffee and beer as “food.” Please. If there was food around, all these dogs would be going nuts. Instead, they’re just hanging out, smiling, sometimes napping, and obligingly receiving pets from strangers. Can’t a dog live?